Just to set the facts straight. I am a CFI/MEI/MEII for ATP in Riverside, Ca. We had a student who went through the career pilot program here in Riverside, finished two weeks ago and will be starting in the office this Monday -- that's a three week lag time between finishing the program and being hired.
I myself finished the program in 59 days, was hired seven days later -- and one year after starting the program as a private pilot with 80 hours, I have almost 800 hours TT, 670 Multi, and 520 hours of dual given in the Seminole. And all that was accomplished despite answering phones for five and a half weeks in Jax.
If you are willing to work hard, have a good personality and possess good pilot skills, the transition from private pilot to high time instructor for ATP can be extremely fast.
I would also say that perhaps the greatest advantage in instructing here at ATP is the caliber of pilots that you are exposed to on a daily basis. Instead of teaching people how to land a 152 at an uncontrolled field, I spend my days prepping airline pilots and military pilots (most of whom are future airline pilots) for their ATP checkride. I have flown with Airbus, 737, RJ, King Air, Gulfstream, Citation, Shorts, Fokker, Lear, Huey, C-141, KC-10, EA6B, F14, F16, and F18 pilots -- I even had the pleasure of prepping one of the Blue Angels! And not a week goes by that one of these highly respected pilots doesn't offer to write me a letter of recommendation. If I were working anywhere else besides ATP, this would be unheard of.
Travis
P.S. If you doubt my claims about the recent student being hired weeks after he finished, give him a call in the office after Wednesday of next week -- his name is Craig and I'm sure he'd be willing to share his experience.